Newsletter Issue #862: The 2016 WWDC: Not a Recipe for Disappointment

Perhaps the best evidence of the media disconnect about Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference is the usual refrain that it was unsuccessful. No, not because of the attendance. In fact, Apple has to turn developers away, and now uses a sort of lottery system from which to select applicants. Of course, selected high-profile developers, such as Adobe and Microsoft, will always be there.

But the core premise of the complaint is about the lack of new hardware at most of these events. So it’s mostly about operating systems, developer APIs and development tools. That’s the nasty fact the critics often miss, yet at times there will be news of new hardware. The most recent example was the launch of the 2013 Mac Pro, a long-awaited refresh to what some believed to be a dying product line.

Then again, there hasn’t been another Mac Pro upgrade since then, so maybe the skeptics are going to have their wish. But I really expect a new model this year. It may not be a hot seller, but a certain segment of customers expect a powerful workstation with which to do their work. If Apple doesn’t deliver on that promise, you can expect some movement to Microsoft and Windows.